Chapter 767: Chapter 767: Abigail’s Father

When Brandon caught up, he heard the door to Abigail’s room slam shut with a bang.

Locked outside, the man said, “…”

Abigail had gone to the hospital and, upon returning to her room, took a shower as her first order of business.

After showering, she took out her phone and typed in the name Hayden Bell. Abigail hadn’t had much hope, but upon hitting search, a string of related results quickly appeared, including a Wikipedia entry.

Upon opening it, she saw a handsome man. The photo of Hayden Bell must have been taken when he was under twenty, sporting the stylish middle part that was popular among Hong Kong stars of the ’80s and ’90s. His features were well-defined, and his profile was strikingly handsome. Even in black and white, a spark could be seen in his eyes.

Abigail wondered if it was an illusion that she could see a bit of herself from her past life in him.

So this was her father? Abigail scrolled down.

Hayden Bell, singer, music producer, guitarist. His musical styles included rock, folk, blues, and Chinese folk music.

The biography was brief, focusing on his early experiences and his short-lived performing career.

Those early experiences had no connection to the Bell family; it was all about his life with his mother and his journey learning music.

As for his entertainment career, it was evident that Hayden had once risen to fame before moving to the M Kingdom for development, after which came the news of his death.

The cause of death according to Wikipedia was depression-induced suicide.

But Abigail suspected from Clara Smith’s cryptic reaction that things were not so simple.

After searching for a while longer and finding nothing else, Abigail did come across some blurry videos of Hayden’s performances.

After hesitating for a moment, Abigail opened one. After a thirty-second ad, a stage from the ’90s appeared. Four people were performing on stage, with Hayden in the center, holding a guitar and singing folk songs. Despite the poor video quality, it was clear that he was an exceptionally handsome man.

He looked even more striking than in the photo on Wikipedia, and more vibrant.

His singing had a clear tone with a faint hint of melancholy, that could stir a girl’s heart.

As Abigail continued watching, the people in the videos grew more mature, and the aura more melancholic. The last video she found was of Hayden’s performance three years after moving to the M Kingdom. It showed a drastic change; he had adopted a heavy metal style, wore heavy eyeliner, and still looked handsome. Yet, there was a faint sense of being on the edge of losing control, a stark contrast from his early days.

After that, information on Hayden grew scarce, as if he had disappeared without a trace.

Abigail, who had studied for many years in the M Kingdom, had known some exceptional students who, because of loneliness in a foreign country or the pursuit of conformity, ultimately walked a path of no return.

She had once met a girl addicted to drugs, whose look of loss and Hayden Bell’s eyes in the last video were eerily similar.

If her guess was correct, Abigail began to understand why Clara Smith was reluctant to mention Hayden Bell in front of her and why she was so secretive when Eva Bell brought him up.

She could also understand the despair Clara must have experienced.

Being a doctor, she possessed more empathy than the average person.

Just thinking about how that young, handsome face had wilted from brilliance to despair–and that he was her father–made Abigail feel uncontrollably downcast.

Just as Abigail was feeling heavy-hearted, she heard her bedroom door click open.

She looked up sharply to see Brandon, already changed into loungewear, wearing slippers and drying his hair as he walked toward her, showing no guilt for picking the lock.

Having finished reading up on Hayden Bell and forming her own theories, Abigail was too downhearted to care about the man’s behavior.

When Brandon entered, he noticed Abigail’s hair was still wet, dripping down as she lay there. Frowning, he stepped forward and used his towel to wrap around her hair. “Why are you lying down without drying your hair?”

“How did you get in?” Abigail glanced at the door. She realized this man was becoming more and more boundary-less. Earlier at Rose Valley, he often picked the lock in the middle of the night, and now they were back at the manor, he was still picking locks. His gentlemanly demeanor had fallen apart.

Brandon was taken aback by the question, “Uh, I used a key to open it.”

Abigail couldn’t be bothered with him and continued to lie on the bed, her mind in a whirlwind of thoughts.

Brandon glanced at her phone and roughly guessed what she had been doing. He calmly sat beside Abigail and began gently drying her hair with the towel.

His movements were so gentle that Abigail, feeling comfortable, rolled over like a cat and nestled against his thigh, making it easier for him to dry her hair.

Seeing her like this, Brandon chuckled and rubbed her earlobe, “You searched Hayden Bell, didn’t you?”

Abigail, feeling comfortable and with her head buried in the mattress, made a sound of acknowledgment. Images of that young, handsome face flashed in her mind. She had never considered Lincoln Green her father, but upon seeing Hayden Bell, she inexplicably felt a sense of kinship. Perhaps it was a blood tie.

And Eva Bell–Abigail didn’t find her detestable at first glance. If not for what she had done, Abigail might have liked her.

“I met him a few times when I was young. He was a very quiet and gentle person, quite different from how he was on stage.” Brandon thought Abigail might want to hear about Hayden Bell and lifted her head to rest on his thigh so she wouldn’t suffocate herself in the bedding.

Upon hearing Brandon’s words, Abigail indeed quieted down and looked at him curiously.

Brandon continued, “Although we didn’t meet often, each time he brought me a gift. The gifts weren’t valuable but were very thoughtful. The first book I read, The Little Prince, was a picture book he gave me. Back then, my mother and father hadn’t completely fallen out, and they strictly enforced so-called elite education on me.”

At that, Brandon sighed lightly, remembering that time. What he once thought was irritating turned out to be the days he cherished most later on. Abigail looked up at him.

Brandon gently pressed her head back down and continued drying her hair, “I used to be envious of other children having candy. Every time he saw me, he would perform a magic trick and give me a piece. He was a very restrained person…”

But who could have imagined such a gentle and restrained man would end up addicted to drugs, ultimately committing suicide from depression in his girlfriend’s arms?

Listening to Brandon’s slow recounting, the handsome young man in the video became clearer and more complete in Abigail’s mind.

“Did he have a good relationship with your mother?” Abigail asked, turning her head after listening.

“Yes, but Eva Bell always felt indebted to Hayden. She was the one who brought him back to the Bell family. Subsequently, the Bell family engaged in deadly battles over power, with no regard for any relationships. By the time the dust settled, with Mitchell Bell in charge, the Bell family had almost fallen apart. Hayden was sent abroad, and Eva always felt responsible for his tragedy.” Brandon recounted the events in an even tone, without any bias.

After a moment of hesitation, Abigail asked, “Did she bring Hayden back to help her seize the family fortune?”

If so, then Eva would be unforgivable!